The President's Africa Trip and the Power Africa Initiative
With opening remarks by:
Andrew Herscowitz
Coordinator, Power Africa and Trade Africa, USAID
Featuring:
Christopher Camponovo
Director, Business Development, Symbion Power
Ben Leo
Global Policy Director, ONE
Ambassador Robert C. Perry
Vice President for International Programs, Corporate Council on Africa
Sarah O. Ladislaw
Codirector and Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS
Moderated by:
Jennifer G. Cooke
Director, Africa Program, CSIS
Friday, July 12, 2013
1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Recent announcements by President Obama while travelling in Africa signal a paradigm shift in U.S.-Africa engagement, with greater priority given to economic growth, trade and investment, and new forms of partnership with a “continent that is on the move.” The president announced a new U.S. initiative while in Tanzania—“Power Africa”—targeting increased access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable power in Africa. The president’s announcement offers an opportunity to tackle a long-standing barrier to development and growth in Africa, as well as a major stumbling block for potential U.S. investors.
Please join CSIS for a discussion of the likely impact of the president’s trip in boosting private-sector engagement in Africa, the parameters and potential of the Power Africa initiative, and critical next steps by the administration, Congress, private-sector players, and African governments to maximize its impact. The panel will offer its views on the opportunity for the private and public sectors to coordinate their strategies and leverage their strength to achieve measurable growth in power accessibility in Africa.
This event is part of CSIS’s ongoing “Chevron Forum on Development” series, which seeks to highlight innovative approaches to global development.
This should be a timely and informative discussion.
Please RSVP to ChevronForum@csis.org.
Follow @CSIS_USLD, @CSISAfrica, and #CSISLive for live updates.